Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males. Overwhelming clinical evidence shows that human prostate cancer has the propensity to metastasize to bone, and the disease appears to progress inevitably from androgen dependent to androgen refractory status, leading to increased patient mortality. This prevalent disease is currently the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S.
There are striking population (race) disparities in prostate cancer risk and survival outcome borne out of current health statistics data. This is particularly evident between African Americans (AA) and their Caucasian American (CA) counterparts. Epidemiologic studies have shown that higher mortality and recurrence rates of prostate cancer are still seen in AA men even after adjustment for socioeconomic status, environmental factors and health care access. Thus, it is likely that intrinsic biological differences account for some of the cancer disparities. Identifying these differences has been identified as a high-priority research area by the NIH, NCI and the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD).
There are currently very few diagnostics methods available for the diagnosis and prevention of prostate cancer, particularly which can be used as predictor of risk and survival in African American population. Thus, the identification of genetic differences between AA and their CA counterparts, that are responsible for predisposition of prostate cancer would provide for a better understanding of the mechanisms of cancer causation (including ethnic and individual susceptibility), and ultimately lead to ways of prostate cancer prevention.